A/N1: Not mine.
Watanabe quirked an eyebrow as his friend approached the next morning. "When you told me that the visiting family had an unexpected member, I pictured a cat or dog."
"Yuuki wouldn't have minded the latter," Naoki laughed before drawing a timid Kotoko from her hiding place behind him. "Aihara-chan, this is my good friend, Watanabe-kun."
"Pleasure to meet you officially." The boy grinned and bowed.
Kotoko mumbled something in response then scurried through the courtyard.
"Does she still have that crush on you?" he asked, his gaze following her rapid retreat.
"I suppose." Naoki narrowed his eyes in concentration. "She's almost painfully shy but appeared to make an effort to talk at breakfast."
"Well," Watanabe shrugged, "it's not as if I'm available to try and take her off your hands, now that I'm seeing Nozomi." One of his cousins had brought along a friend to a family get-together the previous summer, and the two were enjoying a flourishing long-distance relationship.
"Are you and she still hoping to attend the same university?"
"Yes, we're both going to try for Waseda. They have an excellent law program. But, back to your situation–what if she gets over her shyness? Do you fear or look forward to her making a midnight visit to your room?"
"Hardly," he snorted. "Mama booted Yuuki out to house her, so he and I are bunking together."
"I suppose even the most elevated of libidos would take pause at performing in front of an elementary schooler."
Naoki landed a fist on his friend's bicep. "Mind–gutter–out!"
"Truly?" Satomi's eyes were almost popping from their sockets; Jinko's were in the same condition. "Your dad's old school friend is Irie-kun's father, and you're living with them for the foreseeable future?"
"Yes," she confirmed glumly, "my life just keeps getting stranger and stranger."
"Whaddya mean?" asked Jinko.
Kotoko began counting on her fingers. "First there was the earthquake, then Kin-chan acting the fool and embarrassing me in front of the school, and now I'm going to be living with the best friend of my crush."
"Sounds like a romantic drama," the other girl posited.
"Not helping!" Satomi hissed as Kotoko covered her face with her hands. "Now baby," she laid an arm over her friend's shoulders, "look on the bright side. You have been given the opportunity to meet your prince in a less stressful manner than school, which is full of nosy busybodies."
"Do you mean Kin-chan?"
"For goodness' sake, Jinko," Satomi snapped, "of course I mean Kin-chan!"
Bolstered by her friends' encouraging words, Kotoko decided to begin to build bridges with what she considered the less intimidating Irie scion. That assumption was soon corrected.
"Yuuki-kun," she smiled at the boy during dinner, "how was school today?"
He contorted his small mouth into a creditable sneer. "Why should I tell you, baka? It's not as if you'd understand anyway."
Gasps were heard around the table as Kotoko lowered her blushing face.
"Yuuki-kun!" Mrs. Irie dropped a serving spoon, and one hand flew to cover her mouth.
"Son!" Mr. Irie growled.
"Ow!" cried Yuuki as Naoki leaned over and smacked the back of his head.
"Apologize!" the older brother ordered.
"Why?!" Yuuki turned to his sibling with an expression of betrayal. "You're the one who said she was in the dumb-dumb class!"
After the past few days, this was too much for the beleaguered girl. Her bravado having flown away on wings of eagles, she rose with a quick 'Excuse me' and raced up the stairs. Those around the table heard her skid on the landing rug and almost fall before continuing to the upper floor. Shortly after that she was out of range for the resultant family exchange in the dining room.
Kotoko wiped her cheeks when she heard a knock followed by Mrs. Irie's voice. "Kotoko-chan, I've brought you some tea and refreshments." She entered after the girl opened the door and placed a tray with a teapot and a plate of dainty sandwiches and an assortment of petit-fours.
The girl attempted to beg pardon. "I'm sorry for causing such a scene at dinner. I mean, that's something that my class members hear all the time, but I wasn't expecting it at home. Of course, this isn't really my home."
"Ma chérie!" The woman engulfed her in her arms. "Of course this is your home. As long as you need or want it to be. And my stupid sons–quels imbéciles–are just that–imbeciles. After a great deal of groveling they have convinced Papa and me that there was a misunderstanding between them." She pulled out several sheets of paper and handed them over. "They have written their apologies; if you have it in you, please read them."
She accepted hesitantly. "Otosan always says a forced apology doesn't mean much."
"Quoi? There was no forcing. They begged me to deliver these." She leaned forward and winked. "If you ask me, it would do them no little good for you to make them wait on any forgiveness you wish to offer."
Kotoko managed a weak grin. "I suppose...I could read them." Hearing feet shuffling in the hall, she raised her voice. "Maybe in a week or so, when I feel like it."
"Quelle intelligente fille!" The older woman exclaimed as moans resulted from the comment. "Now, you just eat to your heart's content. I'll hurry the boys through the bath, and it will be all yours in half an hour." She tapped Kotoko's nose. "I think you'll be good for my staid sons, ma mignonne fille."
Kotoko appreciated the sandwiches and enjoyed her first experience with the French dessert delicacies. After a shower and relaxing bath, she propped pillows against the headboard, towel still around her damp hair, and opened the notes.
Yuuki's was a colorful drawing of a boy and a girl slightly taller, holding hands. In precise kanji, he had written 'I'm sorry'. She sighed at the fact that a boy nine years younger had better precision with the strokes than she. Taking a deep breath, she opened the second, longer note. Her brow creased as Naoki explained that his younger brother was aware of the letter designations for the classes, as that was also how it was in the Tonan Middle School, to which the boy was headed. Hmph, she thought, I didn't know that; I just tested into the high school from my other school. So, he continued, when Naoki casually mentioned that Kotoko was in Class F, he had drawn certain conclusions. He admitted that Class F did produce lower grades than the ones earlier in the alphabet, but that should be more of a judgment on the teacher. He meant no disrespect or insult, but if she ever needed assistance with homework or an assignment, she should feel free to call upon him.
"Well, that was certainly unexpected," she mused before smirking. He'd better believe I'll take him up on it. I have no desire to spend my last summer of high school taking make-up courses!
In the boys' room, Yuuki turned to Naoki with a look of anxiety. "Do you think she'll really wait until next week to read them?"
His brother shrugged. "We'll be able to tell by how she acts at breakfast tomorrow. Now put away that manga; it's lights-out time for you."
A/N2: Many thanks to ALBrassard for trouble-shooting my French!
T/N: Ma chérie=my darling; quels imbéciles=what fools/imbeciles; quoi=what; quelle intelligente fille=what a smart girl; ma mignonne fille=my cute girl.